The EX Enduro 2016 - Recap

Presented by DMR Bikes, The Ex is a brand new enduro on the British calendar and took place in Exmoor in South West England over the past weekend. Exmoor is a gem of a riding spot, it’s hugely underrated, but the organisers, Mike Wilkens and Paul Newman used their local knowledge to really showcase the best trails on offer and the quality of the riding is right up there with the best in the country. With three days of racing featuring 45km and upwards of 2,000m of descending per day, it was a tough but rewarding course, accessible and challenging in equal measure, a good test for bike handling skills and stamina. It’s clear from taking part in the event that a friendly, laid-back and chilled vibe was the order of the day - the organisers had managed to bottle the spirit of enduro racing.

What Exmoor lacks in vastness it makes up for in gradient. The hills are steep and gravity points are well-earned with some brutish climbs, but mercifully each day started with an uplift, a van ride up to Dunkery Beacon, the highest point on Exmoor. The trails were varied, everything from flat out and fast rocky chutes to root infested tree-lined singletrack with conditions ensuring the running was fast with no mud to contend with. The racing was close throughout the weekend for those taking it seriously, with Matthew De Villanueva (Badassbikes) taking the win in the open male class with an overall time of 36 minutes 18 seconds, and Liz Gath taking the open female win in a time of 48 minutes and 1 second. In the hardtail category, Paul Mackie (Zealous Bike Co.) held off close competition to win in 38 minutes 54 seconds.

"We had a great time at THE EX presented by DMRBIKES and it was great to see that so many people seem to love the trails as much as we do. I believe we have started a great new ’small’ event which will hopefully be around for years to come. We are already thinking of new trails and routes we can add to the event for 2017. Exciting times ahead," says Mike Wilkens, event organiser.

A rider blurs through the tree-lined singletrack on one of the special timed stages

Exmoor may only be a small area on the map but there are some high-quality trails packed into the tight contour lines

An uplift started the day to the highest point on Exmoor, Dunkery Beacon, 520m above the clearly visible sea level

Despite the first uplift there was still plenty of climbing to do on the transition stages, with the invisible force of a strong wind to contend with

The terrain on Exmoor varies hugely from wide open expanses to densely forested woodland, making for a really interesting mix

A mixture of old worn out downhill tracks and freshly cut trails made the riding interesting and varied

Food! And plenty of it to keep every rider stocked up on vital calories, and regular tea stops so you could get away with travelling light

The riding brought out smiles in everyone, from seasoned racers to first-timers riding their first ever enduro event

Dunkery Beacon in the background, marked by the pile of stones, and the first stage weaves a rocky line across this bleak landscape

The weather gods handed the organisers the perfect weekend for racing with dry trails and warm temperatures

Enduro racing fuelled by much homemade cake

Back at the finish and uploading the ride to Strava

Tea is served, the fuel of Uk enduro racing? Quite possibly

You don't get tea served in fine china cups and saucers at an EWS

Some of the tracks were extremely steep and made tricky with off-camber sections and lots of roots